Summer HEATS up in South Carolina
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mattmontgomery at: 6/23/2004 10:18:01 AM |
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On June 17th, representatives from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety in Georgia attended the kickoff for "100 Days of Summer HEAT" in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The "100 Days of Summer HEAT" program is unique in that it is both a statewide and regional program. South Carolina will join its Southern state brothers in creating a region-wide network web of traffic enforcement. All summer long, aggressive drivers will be stopped at road checks or pulled over by concentrated patrols on the interstates, secondary corridors, and local highways. For the "100 Days of Summer Heat", police will actively search for speeders in passenger vehicles, eighteen wheelers and motorcycles.
Max H. Young, director of the Office of Highway Safety with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, shows the logo for the "100 Days of Summer Heat." Below is an article from the Spartanburg Herald-Journal detailing the South Carolina Press Conference. GOHS Deputy Director Rob Mikell, Special Operations Director Ricky Rich, and Law Enforcement Coordinator Mark Hutchinson all attended to give a hand to South Carolina. For more information on Georgia's "100 Days of Summer HEAT" program, go to http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/heatison.html _______________________________________________________ Law enforcement agencies planning crackdown on highway fatalities, DUIsBy Shamona McClary | Staff Writer If you like to burn rubber, your tires won't be the only things feeling the heat this summer. On Thursday, Upstate law enforcement agencies teamed with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW Manufacturing Corp. and the states of Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina in an enforcement campaign, "100 Days of Summer HEAT." At a news conference at BMW, law enforcement representatives announced plans to reduce highway fatalities and injuries by cracking down on speeding, driving under the influence and other traffic violations. Summer is the deadliest time of year for automobile crashes, they said. Beginning Saturday and continuing through Labor Day, law enforcement agencies will heavily patrol I-85 for disobedient drivers in the four-state zone. For each summer month, saturation patrols will emphasize a primary violation. In June and August, the emphasis will be on speeding; in July, alcohol use; and on Labor Day weekend, driving under the influence. Max Young, director of the office of Highway Safety with the state Department of Public Safety, said he feels optimistic about the effects of the new enforcement program. He said drivers violating traffic laws would have a chance of getting caught multiple times if they travel through the four states. Bobby Hitt, manager of public affairs for BMW, stressed the corporation's concern for maintaining safety on the roads. "We work hard to build a car to protect the occupant," he said. Hitt said BMW and other safety coalitions have tried to alter the seatbelt law in South Carolina to join surrounding states in making it a primary violation. At present, officers cannot stop a driver because the driver is not wearing a seatbelt or properly restraining a passenger. Tickets may only be issued if the driver is stopped for another infraction. The state Legislature adjourned earlier this month without passing a primary enforcement law because of a filibuster in the Senate. Greenville County Sheriff Steve Loftis stressed the local commitment to reducing traffic deaths. He said Greenville County already has recorded 10 more fatalities than it had at this time last year. Over Memorial Day weekend, Loftis said his deputies arrested 28 people for DUI, and more than 1,400 people were issued citations. Only one fatality occurred in the county. In addition to the human loss, Erick Moran, regional program manager for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said speeding is costly for the economy. Speed-related crashes cost the nation about $40 billion each year, he said. Shamona McClary can be reached at 562-7262 or shamona.mcclary@shj.com.
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